A vendor selling dates at his roadside setup in the city
Police officials check vehicles at LRH road for security purposes during Ashura
A blacksmith sharpening knives to be used during the procession of Muharram
A beautiful view of Clouds hovering over the sky in the Federal Capital
Federal Minister for Education, Professional Training, Rana Tanveer Hussain in a group photograph with participants during the launching ceremony of Inclusive Learning Center at IMS for boys G-11/2
Bilawal expresses grief over loss of life & property by excessive rains
KARACHI, Jul 25 (APP): Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari on Tuesday expressed grief over loss of life and to property due to excessive rains and floods across the country.
Bilawal Bhutto, who is also Chairman of the Pakistan Peoples Party, in a statement, directed his party’s ministers and elected representatives, including mayors, deputy mayors, chairmen, deputy chairmen and councillors of local bodies to play their role in helping victims with the coordination of party officials and workers.
The poor people, who were already facing economic difficulty due to high inflation, were further troubled by the heavy rains and floods, he added.
The PPP chairman expressed concern over the damage caused to agriculture in Sindh due to the rainfall and urged the Federal Government to help the governments of Balochistan, Punjab, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Gilgit-Baltistan and Sindh in dealing with the floods.
He said like the last year, this year too there was fear of loss to the crops by the excessive rainfall.
FS, UN Special Coordinator on Afghanistan discuss coherent global engagement
ISLAMABAD, July 25 (APP): Foreign Secretary Asad Majeed Khan and UN Special Coordinator on Afghanistan, Feridun Sinirlioglu on Tuesday discussed the importance of a coherent international strategy to engage with the Afghan interim government.
During the meeting, the foreign secretary shared Pakistan’s perspective and priorities in the context of Afghanistan, Foreign Office Spokesperson posted in a tweet on her official Twitter handle.
Pak, IFAD ink agreement to further boost cooperation
ISLAMABAD, July 25 (APP): Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari and International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) President Alvaro Lario on Tuesday signed a “Host Country Agreement” between Pakistan and IFAD.
Under the agreement, the country office of IFAD will be set up in Islamabad.
“The agreement will formalize the already existing substantial cooperation between Pakistan and IFAD. IFAD’s current portfolio across Pakistan totals US$ 673 million, which is the second highest IFAD undertaking in the world,” Foreign Office Spokesperson said in a press release.
There are five ongoing IFAD projects in Pakistan in Balochistan, Gilgit-Baltistan, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and South Punjab, with a sixth project forthcoming in Sindh.
IFAD projects are related to the areas of nutrition, women empowerment, climate change and youth engagement.
IFAD is an important partner for Pakistan in its efforts towards ensuring national food security, climate resilience and rural poverty reduction, it was further added.
PM for owning IT talent through maximum financial, professional support
ISLAMABAD, July 25 (APP): Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Tuesday said that maximum financial and professional support to the youth was inevitable to untap their immense potential in information technology which could also guarantee the county’s prosperity.
The prime minister, addressing the launching ceremony of PM’s Freelancer and Venture Capital Initiative, and National Innovation Award Investor Connect here, said the network of incubation centers needed to be spread across the country by carving out maximum funding keeping in view the country’s future.
He said considering the talent and importance of the IT, Rs 2 billion allocated for venture capital was just “peanut”, though it was scraped by the government despite financial constraint.
The prime minister was “taken aback” as he visited the stalls and was briefed about the innovative projects prepared by the youngsters including drones for agriculture purposes, IT-led medical systems, and usage of banana peels for different products.
“I really salute all of you,” the prime minister remarked and particularly lauded Sahar Munir, a girl from Naushki for her vision and ideas to promote the IT sector.
He said the network of incubation centres should have been spread countrywide some 10 years ago and recalled the establishment of such a center at Arfa Karim Tower in 2009 while being the Punjab chief minister.
“This is the untapped talent across Pakistan which we have to own. This is our responsibility to arrange trainings and provide maximum funding,” he said and called for holding similar innovation award ceremonies in other parts of the country.
He said the funding for the IT endowment fund should be increased by billions annually to capacitate the youngsters and support their research and development.
Prime Minister Shehbaz, who earlier launched the initiatives and gave away awards among top 10 winners of the second round National Innovation Award, also instructed the formulation of a coordinated mechanism and a policy framework for the IT sector for onward cabinet approval so that the interim government could carry the projects forward without any impediment.
He said the whatsoever party forms the next government, they should facilitate the IT sector which, if supported for next five years, could bring in billions of dollars to the country.
In his address, Minister for IT and Telecommunications Syed Aminul Haq said his ministry was coordinating and cooperating to execute the prime minister’s vision of Digital Pakistan.
He said the ministry was facilitating around 20 incubation centres in various parts of the country.
He told the gathering that the efforts were underway to enhance women participation in the IT start-ups as during last five years, out of 1387 start-ups, 37% were were women.
He said the IT ministry was endeavoring to increase connectivity as a prerequisite for the IT growth. He said during his ministerial term, the cellphone users grew from 160 million to 195 million and broadband users from 70 million to 122 million.
Special Assistant to PM on Youth Affairs Shaza Fatima Khawaja said that the ceremony marked the second round of National Innovation Award with 50 winners and connect them with the investors to capitalise their ideas.
She said the government had allocated Rs5 billion for the IT sector including Rs2 billion for venture capital and Rs 1 billion each for IT training and IT endowment fund. Besides, Rs 200 million have also been specified for the women-led business venture, she added.
The event also marked the playing of a short documentary on two rounds of PM National Innovation Awards as well as the testimonials by two award winners who apprised the audience about their projects and vision.
Minister Sherry Rehman chairs meeting on pollution control measures in ICT
ISLAMABAD, Jul 25 (APP): Federal Minister for Climate Change & Environmental Coordination, Senator Sherry Rehman, on Tuesday, chaired a meeting of the Committee on Implementation of Pollution Control Measures in Islamabad Capital Territory (ICT).
The gathering included key figures such as the Federal Minister for Defence, Khawaja Muhammad Asif, Federal Minister for Industries and Production, Syed Murtaza Mahmud, Special Assistant to the Prime Minister on Government Effectiveness, Dr. Mohammad Jehanzeb Khan, Chairman of CDA, Noor-ul-Amin Mengal, and Director General of EPA, Farzana Altaf Shah, a news release said.
The committee meeting achieved consensus on proposals put forth by Minister Rehman.
The committee resolved to strictly enforce CDA’s master plan against unplanned urbanization and high-rise construction, close unregulated industrial activity in residential sectors within six months for small industries and one year for large manufacturing units.
It also decided to incentivize I-9 and I-10 sector industries to relocate within six months, repurposing the land for smart activities, adopt a zero-tolerance policy for polythene bag manufacturers, and mandate brick kilns to switch to zig-zag technology.
It also agreed to require commercial vehicles in Islamabad to obtain a Vehicle Fitness Certificate from a third party for token renewal and explore a partnership with the private sector for a Waste-to-Energy Plant near the landfill site.
The body gave consent to approach Punjab Healthcare Commission for interim hazardous waste disposal from hospitals, implement traffic challan slabs based on vehicle type and size, and consider license cancellation for repeated violations.
Similarly, it was of the view that a one-year relocation period to a cement plant operating in the ICT, all small restaurants and kiosks operating within the Margalla National Park must be closed down, and a ban on burning solid waste in ICT. The decisions will be presented to the Federal Cabinet for approval.
During the meeting, Minister Rehman took proactive steps by commissioning two sub-committees, the first chaired by SAPM Dr. Mohammad Jehanzeb Khan, will oversee the Waste-to-Energy Plant initiative and includes key members such as the Secretary MoCC&EC, the Chief Commissioner of Islamabad, and the Commissioner of Rawalpindi.
The second sub-committee, chaired by the Secretary of the MoCC&EC, will focus on the initiative concerning Hazardous Waste from hospitals, with members including the Additional Secretary of MoCC&EC, Chairman of CDA, Director General EPA, and representatives from the Federal and Punjab Health Ministry.
The minister issued a directive to CDA, instructing them to submit a comprehensive plan for the establishment of the Waste-to-Energy Plant to MoCC&EC within the next 3 months.
She also reiterated that the Single-Use Plastic Prohibition Regulation will be enforced from the 1st of August, effectively prohibiting the use of single-use plastic crockery, including plates, bowls, cups, and glasses, as well as single-use plastic cutlery, such as forks, knives, spoons, and chopsticks.
Moreover, single-use plastic food service ware, comprising lidded containers, boxes, cups, plates, and bowls used for serving or transporting food or beverages, along with single-use plastic stirrers, will also be banned. CDA and EPA have been directed to promptly implement these measures and devise a communication strategy to effectively guide the population on these regulations.
The urgency of the meeting stemmed from the escalating challenges posed by air pollution and waste mismanagement in Islamabad.
Minister Rehman expressed deep concern over these issues, recognizing that they not only damage the city’s beauty but also threaten its natural heritage, much admired by locals and visitors alike.
One of the key drivers of this problem lies in the unchecked urbanization and construction activities in the capital city, leading to a growing gap in the effective implementation of the city’s master plan.
As a result, industrial activities and vehicular emissions continue to degrade the air quality, demanding immediate action to safeguard the environment.
The Minister said that we will be establishing protected areas and buffer zones to protect the green belt of Islamabad, and CDA will not be allowed to make roads or any other infrastructure through the Margalla National Park.